


Does He Know?

by orphan_account



Series: One-Shot at Love (One Direction BRomance One-shots) [5]
Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Don't kill me larry shippers, I ship larry too, Liam and Zayn are there but aren't really mentioned by name, M/M, Nouis, Secret Crush, Two Shot, Unrequited, but nouis is in my top 5 bromances, but then theres a second part, there's a little bit of Larry
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-01-09
Updated: 2014-01-09
Packaged: 2018-01-08 03:28:35
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,129
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1127810
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Louis likes Niall but doesn't want to tell him. Harry is there to push his best friend along.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Moments

**Author's Note:**

> Used to be on Wattpad. Isn't anymore. Now it's here. Enjoy.  
> And really, sorry for the Larry (or lack of actual Larry (you'll understand when you read it)) it just sort of slipped in. It kind of has a tendency to do that.

Niall sat on the sofa laughing at the television as Louis walked into his living room. 

“Hey, Nialler. What brings you here?” Louis asked as he walked over to sit next to his laughing friend.

“Harry invited me. Said something about being bored and not wanting to wake you up ‘cuz you’ve been really grumpy lately,” Niall answered without looking away from the television.

“I’m not grumpy,” Louis pouted rather grumpily.

“Sure you’re not,” Niall said sarcastically but still slid a comforting arm around Louis’ shoulders.

Louis snuggled into Niall and sighed contentedly, choosing to drop the subject instead of arguing. He laid his head on Niall’s shoulder for a moment and watched the television, just enjoying the younger boy’s warmth.

“Hey, Nia—Oh, Lou, you’re up!” Harry entered from the kitchen looking happy to see both of his best mates.

“Yeah, yeah. _You_ called me grumpy.” Louis pouted again, crossing his arms and glaring playfully at his best friend. He and Harry could never really get mad at each other and when they did it wasn’t for long.

“Well, you _are_ in the mornings,” Harry said with a roll of his eyes. “Just like Niall doesn’t know when to keep his mouth shut.”

“Oi!” Niall started to protest, finally tearing his eyes away from the telly before rethinking. Then, he shrugged. “No, that’s fair.”

Harry chuckled and Louis ruffled Niall’s hair as he pulled himself off the couch and headed past Harry into the kitchen calling, ”anyone want tea?”

“I do,” Harry called as he walked over and stole Louis’ spot next to Niall.

“I’ll take some pancakes,” Niall called eliciting a soft chuckle from Harry. Everyone knew that Louis would likely burn down the kitchen if he tried cooking.

“Do I _look_ like _Harry_ to you?” Louis said sticking his head out from the kitchen. He couldn’t help the feeling of envy that churned in his stomach as he saw Harry in his spot, Niall’s arm wrapped around his best friend now. He struggled to ignore it though.

Niall stared for a minute. “A little, if I squint,” he answered with a laugh.

“Your _tea_ will be ready in a minute,” Louis said pointedly letting Niall know that no breakfast was coming as he ducked back into the kitchen.

“I’ll do it,” Harry said with a sigh, giving Niall’s thigh a friendly squeeze as he rose from the couch.

“Thanks, Harry,” Niall said, back to watching the television intently.

Harry walked into the kitchen to see Louis leaning back against the bar, chewing on his thumbnail and looking lost in thought. He walked over to his best friend and wrapped his arms around him.

“Sorry, I called you grumpy,” he said as he felt Louis’ arms slide around him.

“You’re forgiven. It might even be a little bit true,” Louis admitted leaning heavily against Harry. Harry just always instinctively knew when Louis needed a hug and Louis was the same with Harry, which was what was so beautiful about their friendship: they just understood each other so well.

“A _little_?” Harry said with a laugh but squeezed Louis a little tighter.

“Do you want to _stay_ forgiven?” Louis pulled back to give Harry a stern look before leaning into his friend again. Harry chuckled again against Louis’ hair.

The tea kettle went off, causing the two boys to pull apart. Harry watched as Louis poured the water into 3 teacups that he’d already prepared.

“How are the butterflies?” Harry asked quietly as he moved to make the boys breakfast. Louis had long ago let Harry in on his secret crush on Niall.

Louis shrugged. “Same.”

“Maybe you should tell him?” Harry said unsure. He could understand Louis not wanting to risk making things awkward in the band but he hated seeing his best friend unhappy.

“You know I can’t, Harry,” Louis said, not looking up from his task.

“It’s Niall, Lou. Even if he doesn’t feel the same-“

“He doesn’t!” Louis said, slamming his hands on the counter. He was tired of arguing about this. Louis knew Harry just wanted to see him happy but he would never tell Niall how he felt. He didn’t want to make Niall feel guilty about rejecting him. Niall was really sensitive about things like that and he knew the guilt would stay with the Irish boy.

Louis picked up his teacup and Niall’s by the saucers and carefully carried them into the living room, sitting them on the coffee table before snuggling into Niall again.

Once again, Niall wrapped an arm around Louis, smiling down at the older boy cuddled up at his side.

“Thanks, Lou,” Niall said letting his arm tighten around Louis’ shoulders for a second.

And Louis thought _these moments are enough_.


	2. Everything Has Changed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Louis is finally gonna tell Niall.

Louis had been really quiet lately. This worried Harry. Louis only got really quiet when something was bothering him.

All the boys were over for a boy’s night but Louis had shut himself up in his room.

Harry knocked nervously on Louis’ bedroom door. He was going to get to the bottom of this today.

Louis opened the door, giving Harry a puzzled look.

“Haz, you know you can come in whenever, right?” Louis said as he stepped aside for Harry to enter.

“I know you only shut your door when you need time to yourself,” Harry answered, walking in and sitting on Louis’ bed.

“Yeah, but that doesn’t apply to you,” he said as he shut the door and walked over to sit next to his best friend. “You’re always welcome.”

Harry couldn’t help but smile.

“What’s on your mind, Haz?” Louis asked as he snuggled back against his pillows.

“Actually, I was just coming to ask _you_ that,” Harry said, taking Louis’ hand into his own.

“Hmm,” Louis hummed, smiling to himself. Of course Harry would notice that something was bothering him. “Why couldn’t I have fallen for you instead of Niall?”

“Is that what this is about? Niall?” Harry asked giving Louis’ fingers an encouraging squeeze.

“Maybe,” Louis said quietly, looking down at their entwined fingers and thinking to himself for a moment.

Harry just sat there quietly, waiting for Louis to spill his concerns. He wouldn’t push, but he usually didn’t need to anyway.

“Would you have loved me back, Harry? If you had been the one I’d fallen for?” Louis asked, looking from their fingers to Harry’s mesmerizing green eyes.

“Of course I would. I don’t think there’s a person on the planet that could resist you, Lou. If you let them in,” Harry answered honestly.

Louis smiled at Harry’s words and pulled his best friend closer.

“Can I just change my mind, then? Can I just fall for you instead?” Louis asked inching towards Harry’s lips.

Harry’s heart sped up. He swallowed hard as Louis lips got closer to his but he didn’t do anything to stop it realizing how desperately he wanted it. It was only when Louis’ lips were ghosting over his that he made himself pull away.

“No,” He whispered as he pulled back putting a gentle hand on Louis’ shoulder to keep him from closing the distance. “You don’t have those kinds of feelings for me, Lou.”

“Well, give me a minute and I’ll see what I can do about that,” Louis said with a flirtatious smile before leaning in again.

“It’ll take a little longer than that, Lou,” Harry said with a soft chuckle as he pushed Louis back again. “And as much as I love you, I’m nobody’s sloppy seconds.”

“Aww, Harry,” Louis said with a pout. “I’d never want you to think that.”

“I know, Boo. But you love Niall. And you should tell him before I do it for you in a really embarrassing way to get back at you for breaking my heart,” Harry told his best friend with a playful smirk.

“Oh, Haz. Did I really break your heart?” Louis asked seriously. He’d hate himself if he’d hurt Harry just to keep himself from getting hurt.

“Only a little,” Harry answered pushing Louis off his bed and in the direction of the door. “Now, go tell Niall that you want to have butt sex with him.”

Louis shook his head at his totally, definitely lovable best friend but took a deep breath and headed out to the living room.

Only after Louis was gone did Harry let the smile drop from his face as he moved to rest his head in his hands. He’d lied. His heart was more than a little broken but he’d deal with it. He got up from Louis’ bed and followed his best friend out hoping the other guys could keep his mind off of it and that he’d still be the only one nursing a broken heart at the end of the night.

~@~

“Hey, Niall?” Louis called from the hallway. “Could I talk to you for a second?”

“Sure, Louis,” Niall said, handing his video game controller to Liam. He’d just beaten Zayn in FIFA and normally that would mean that he would play Liam but they had all noticed that Louis wasn’t quite himself lately so he was quick to accept the invitation to talk. Anything to help out a friend.

They passed Harry on their way to Louis’ room and Niall saw Harry give Louis a wink and a thumbs up.

Louis closed the door once they were in his room and took another deep, steadying breath before turning to Niall.

“What’s up, Louis?” Niall asked as he bounced on the edge of Louis’ bed with a carefree smile.

“Um,” was all Louis could say before he stepped forward and put his hands on Niall’s knees to still the Irish lad.

“Ok.” Another deep breath.

“Is everything alright, Lou?” Niall asked, putting a hand on Louis’ shoulder and looking at his friend with concern.

“God, I hope so,” Louis muttered under his breath. “I have something to tell you…that might…weird you out… a little.”

“Um, ok. Well, uh, just rip the band-aid off, I guess,” Niall said running a, suddenly nervous, hand through his already disheveled hair.

“Ok. Well, I might, sort of, have a little bit of a, um, crush on you,” Louis said anxiously watching Niall’s every move.

“Oh,” Niall said feeling a blush paint his cheeks. He wasn’t sure how to feel about Louis’ confession. Honestly, he was a little relieved because Louis had scared him a little, making him think he was going to hear bad news of some kind. But this, he never would have guessed. It was confusing. “Why?”

Relief flooded through Louis as he watched Niall’s confused face with his cute little nose scrunched up as he questioned why Louis would possibly like him.

“Well, I like how you can make me laugh when I really don’t feel like laughing and turn my whole day around, and you really do give the best hugs, and I love how you make a meal an event,” Louis laughed. “And, um, you look really hot in your tank tops, and when I just wish the world would stop, just for a minute, just so I can breathe, your smile makes me feel like no matter how overwhelmed I get, that everything is going to be okay.”

Louis’ eyes never left Niall as he’d listed all the things he loved about the Irish boy. He watched as Niall’s blush increased before slowly fading away, and how Niall had rubbed his bare arms when Louis had commented about his tank tops, and the shy smile that had lit his face when Louis finished. But Niall was staring at the floor the whole time and Louis was getting more and more concerned about what he thought about the whole situation. Finally, when the silence was too much, Louis sighed.

“Look, I’m really sorry for putting you on the spot like this. Just…let’s just forget I said anything, alright?” he said turning to walk to the door. But Niall reached out and grabbed Louis wrist pulling him back.

“I don’t want to forget it,” Niall said, looking into Louis’ eyes for the first time all night. “I’ve waited my whole life for someone to feel about me the way that you do. And I want that. I want _you_ , Lou. I want all of that love and I want to give my own back to you. Can we do that instead?”

Louis nodded, feeling dizzy and a little breathless as he felt Niall’s arms circle his waist. Niall’s eyes never left Louis’ as he slowly, timidly leaned in and pressed his lips to Louis. They closed their eyes at the same time and just lost themselves in each other.

And Niall thought, _I could get used to this._


End file.
